Ice bridge for a pitcher



July 4, 1961 A. J. SCHMITTv ETAL ICE BRIDGE FOR A PITCHER 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Nov. 14, 1958 FIG.

ZNVENTORS ARTHUR J. ScHMITT BY Roarsm' O.LOCKMAN ATTORNEY July 4, 1961A. J. SCHMITT ETAL 2,990,981 ICE BRIDGE FOR A PITCHER Filed Nov. 14,1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZNVENTORS ARTHUR. J. ScHMrrT BY ROBERT o. LOCKMAN'iwronnsv United States Patent 2,990,981 ICE BRIDGE FOR A PITCHER ArthurJ. Schmitt and Robert O. Lockman, West Bend, Wis., assignors to WestBend Aluminum Co., West Bend, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin FiledNov. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 773,931 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-564) This inventionrelates to ice pitchers and particularly to improvements in an icebridge for an ice pitcher.

Prior ice bridges have been plagued with the problem of ice accumulatingthereat which blocks and clogs the flow causing an erratic and unevenstream from the pitcher.

It is the object of this invention, therefore, to provide an ice bridgewhich not only restricts the flow of ice from the pitcher but, inaddition, acts to deflect the ice from the pouring lip to thereby insurea smooth even flow at all times.

This object is attained by an ice bridge which has a downwardlyextending portion on the underside thereof which forms a wedge havingupwardly sloping sides which serve to direct the ice outwardly to eitherside of the pouring lip when liquid is poured from the pitcher.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent fromthe specification and claim, as will obvious modifications of the singleembodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of an ice pitcher embodying theinvention with portions of the pitcher and ice bridge broken away;

FIG. 2. is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the pitcher shown inFIG. 1 with part of the pitcher broken away; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the pitcher shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the ice pitcher comprises acontainer 10 having an open top 12, a handle 14 and an ice bridge 16mounted on the top of the container as shown. The various parts of theice pitcher in the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings anddescribed hereinafter are made of stainless steel. However, it should beunderstood that the parts may be made from any number of suitablematerials such as aluminum, plastic, glass, etc.

A pouring lip 18 is formed in the upper edge of open top 12 oppositehandle 14 to facilitate pouring liquids therefrom. Ice bridge 16 (whichas shown is dished slightly upwardly) is mounted across pouring lip 18and sealed to the edge of top opening 12 on either side of the lip bywelding or other suitable means. Bridge 16 is spaced slightly from lip18 and is cut out as at 20 to pro vide an opening 22 through whichliquid can be poured from the pitcher while retaining all but the verysmallest pieces of ice therein.

To prevent ice from clogging in opening 22, bridge 16 is deformed asshown to form a downwardly extending wedge 24 having upwardly andoutwardly sloping sides 26, 26 which serve to deflect the pieces of iceoutwardly to either side of lip 18 when liquid is poured from thepitcher. Thus, the ice bridge 16 not only restricts the flow of ice fromthe pitcher but at the same time keeps the pouring lip free of ice tothereby insure a smooth and uniform flow therefrom.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has beenillustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that various changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of theappended claim.

We claim:

In 'an ice pitcher, a container having a top opening and a pouring lipformed in the edge of said top opening, an ice bridge for said pouringlip mounted across said top opening and sealed to the edge thereof oneither side of said pouring lip, said ice bridge spaced inwardly fromsaid pouring lip a suflicient distance to permit liquid to be pouredfrom said container over said pouring lip but spaced close enough tosaid lip to prevent ice pieces of any appreciable size from passing saidpouring lip, said bridge spaced inwardly from the edge of said openingopposite said lip a sufiicient distance to permit filling said pitcherwith liquid and ice, said ice bridge having a V-shaped depression formedtherein extending horizontally inwardly from said lip toward thevertical axis of said container to deflect ice to either side of saidpouring lip and thereby prevent ice from blocking flow over said lipwhen liquid is poured from said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS207,910 Smith Sept. 10, 1878 684,069 Knorr Oct. 8, 1901 2,803,375Meshberg Aug. 20, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 794,5'18 France Dec. 12, 1935

